Sera
Sera was an habitable planet with a 26 hour dayGears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 20. It may be in the same system as Risea, although information on this is not complete. The terrain consists of a few very large continents, as well as several small island chainsGears of War: Aspho Fields pg. 73. Deep beneath the surface of Sera exists a luminescent and liquid-like substance known as Imulsion, which was later converted into a fuel source that eliminated mankind’s dependency on oil and nuclear energy. However, the substance also caused a power shift on Sera. Various human civilizations began to fight over Imulsion in order to preserve their wealth and society. The elongated conflict, known as the Pendulum Wars, raged on for several decades. Also beneath the surface of Sera exists The Hollow, virtually unknown to humans until Emergence Day. The Hollow is the home of the Locust Horde and the Lambent. Pre-Emergence Day, Sera was host to many cultures and nations, including the world's two superpowers: the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) and the Union of Independent Republics (UIR). Members of the COG included the Tyrus, based in Ephyra on Jacinto Plateau, and Sarfuth. The UIR consisted of the highly militarized nation of Pelles and the coastal nation of the Ostri Republic. South of the Main Continent on Sera are the South Islands. The Islands are independent from each other and have many stark differences in culture and tradition. It should also be noted that the South Islands lost contact when E-Day struck, many of the Islanders took too the sea when Locust attack and coming back when the Locust leftGears of War:Aspho Fields. History of Sera Age of Armageddon Sera has a history of conflict that took the planet to the brink of destruction. The "Age of Armageddon" was a millennia-long global conflict which nearly destroyed the human race.Destroyed Beauty At some point, the people of Sera rejected their destructive ways and the very concept of war, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity.Destroyed Beauty Era of Silence The Era of Silence was a period of uninterrupted peace that lasted until the Pendulum Wars. Although most conflict was solved peacefully, civil liberties and crime remained troublesome social issues even in a Golden Age of culture, science, and the arts.Gears of War 2 booklet Yet one problem stood prominent above the rest: energy. Sera's sources of petroleum and nuclear fuel were not sufficient to meet the global demand. Imulsion, with its promise of near limitless energy, was thought to be the solution to mankind's greatest need.Destroyed Beauty page 1 The era ended with the onset of the Gold Rush. Pendulum Wars Following the perfection of the Lightmass Process, the hope that cheap energy would perpetuate the Golden Age was shattered. The global economy crumbled, leaving only the few nations with access to Imulsion unscathed. Nations without Imulsion, faced with utter ruin, invaded their neighbors to obtain that key resource. The battle lines were drawn between the Union of Independent Republics and the Coalition of Ordered Governments. Their seventy-nine year war almost destroyed both factions, with the reemergence of weapons of mass destruction. After the Battle of Aspho Fields, the Pendulum Wars came to an eventual close, with a heavy price on the people of Sera. It seemed that under the Coalition of Ordered Governments, Sera could enter a second Golden Age. Emergence Day and aftermath Nearly 79 years after the Pendulum Wars began, almost all human cities came under surprise attack by the The Locust Horde, who killed over a quarter of all human life on Sera within the first 24 hours: an attack now known as E-day. The COG sent several million humans to Jacinto Plateau, one of the few safe refuges on the planet. They then proceeded to scorch and destroy the planet with chemicals and satellite fire in order to prevent the Locust from inhabiting Sera’s surface, killing billions more humans and stranding the survivors. Sera’s surface is littered with the ruins of destroyed cities and war-scorched battlefields. Some humans, known as "The Stranded", still inhabit Sera’s fallen cities. Despite small patrols of Locust forces, the planet is relatively safe by day. Night is another case: the planet’s skies were filled by swarms of deadly bat-like creatures known as the Kryll. They attack and devour any living creature that wanders into the darkness, even Locust. Thankfully, since the Lightmass offensive at Timgad Valley, the majority of the Kryll, along with the Outer Hollow, were destroyed. Towards the end of Operation Hollow Storm, the last human safe point, Jacinto, was sunk by the COG so that the Inner Hollow would be flooded with seawater. It was the COG's hope that this act, while a serious blow to the humans, would completely destroy the Locust. By the 15th year of the war it is believed that up to 99% of the human race was killed in the warGears of War:Jacinto's Remnant pg 214. With the Remnant of the COG heading towards Port Farrall, old port city. The Coalition set it up as the new capital of the COG, but sub-zero weather, defecation to the Stranded, and Locust raid forced CIC relocated to the Lesser Islands chain. Where an old abandon military based called Vectes Naval Base which still housed an small COG community of civilians. After reclaiming the forgotten Island and destroying the local Stranded group. The COG discover the remnant of the UIR, hailing from the Gorasnaya. The UIR negotiated with Chairman Richard Prescott to join whats left of the COG in-change for Imuslion. Environment Prior to the Locust-Human War, Sera probably had a thriving ecosystem with deserts, rainforests, savannahs, woodlands and caverns supporting untold billions of living creatures . The 79 year long Pendulum Wars undoubtedly had an adverse effect on the Seran wildlife, but such was its extent that no lasting damage was caused. However, a mass extinction would occur shortly after the end of this conflict as the Planets two sentient species began another global conflict on a much larger scale. 1 Year and 1 Month after E-Day the COG, bombarded 90% of the surface of Sera with orbital laser and chemical weapons to deny the Locust any gains. This destruction likely wiped out billions of creatures native to the Seran surface, with only a fraction managing to cling on. Many more likely died out over the following years. Over a decade later, the extinction would spread to the Hollows, which likely contained a similarly diversity of life to the pre-E-Day surface. The Ligthmass Bombing and the flooding of the Inner Hollows undoubtedly obliterated many lifeforms existing in the underground caverns. With the Locust-Human War appearing to continue, it is possible many more species will likely die out before the conflict is over. Locations *Nations: **Tyrus - Central nation of the COG **Ostri Republic - A former member of the UIR; abandoned to the Locust Horde **Pelles - A former member of the UIR; destroyed by COG Hammer of Dawn offensive **Republic of Gorasnaya-member of the UIR;refused to surrender and mainland overrun by the Locust Horde at least four thousands of it citizens relocated to the Lesser Islands chainsGears of War:Jacinto's Remnant pg 382 **Sarfuth - Unknown likely destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn offensive **Maranday - Unknown likely destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn offensive **South Islands - All major Islands scorched by the Hammer of Dawn, minor islands communications cut off from the rest of the planetGears of War Aspho Fields pp 40Gears of War:Jacinto's Remnant *Cities: **Jacinto - COG stronghold during the Human-Locust War; sunk by COG forces to flood The Hollow **Landown - Occupied by Locust, reclaimed by the COG in Operation Hollow Storm **Ephyra - The capital city of the COG; destroyed by Locust in A.E. 10, partially occupied by Stranded **Tollen - Sunk by Rift Worm **Montevado - Sunk by Rift Worm **Ilima - Sunk by Rift Worm **New Sherrith- A Human city;Unknown status most likely destroyed in the Hammer of Dawn Strike **Jannermont- A southern COG city sacked by the Locust Horde **Soteroa- A city in the South Islands; most likely destroyed **Berephus - A city in the Ostri Republic; presumably destroyed or heavily damaged by CNV Merit naval assault. **Peraspha - A city in the Ostri Republic; flattened by COG Petrel missiles.Gears of War Aspho Fields pp282 *Regions **Jacinto Plateau - A plateau of granite on which the cities of Ephyra and Jacinto were built **Timgad Valley - A valley near Ephyra; destroyed in Lightmass offensiveGears of War Act 5 **Pirnah Badlands - A region near Timgad; raided by the Locust after the Lightmass offensive **Mount Kadar - A mountain directly above the Locust capital Nexus **The Hollow (Nexus) - The underground lair of the Locust Horde; Nexus was flooded after the sinking of Jacinto **Dorado Hills - A group of hills outside Jacinto City. Occupied by Seeders. **Tyra River-a major river in southern TyrusGears of War:Jacinto's Remnant pg 182. Behind the Scenes Sera is Ares spelled backwards, the Greek god of war and son of Zeus and Hera. Though often referred to as the Olympian god of warfare, he is more accurately the god of bloodlust, or slaughter personified: "Ares is apparently an ancient abstract noun meaning throng of battle, war." Walter Burkert, Greek Religion (Harvard) 1985:pt III.2.12 p 169. References Category:COG Category:UIR Category:Locust Horde Category:Lambent Locust